Bad Robot Productions

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Bad Robot
TypePrivate
IndustryMotion pictures
Television
Music
Founded2001; 20 years ago (2001)
FounderJ. J. Abrams
Bryan Burk
HeadquartersSanta Monica, California, United States
Key people
J. J. Abrams (Chairman and Co-CEO)
Katie McGrath (Co-CEO)
Brian Weinstein (President and COO)
Bryan Burk (VP)
DivisionsBad Robot Productions
Bad Robot Interactive
Bad Robot Television
Bad Robot Games
Loud Robot
Websitewww.badrobot.com

Bad Robot is an American film and television production company led by J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series Alias, Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest, Revolution and Westworld alongside the feature-length films Cloverfield, Star Trek, Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Star Wars Episodes VII and IX, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Star Trek Beyond, The Cloverfield Paradox, Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Overlord.

History[]

The original Bad Robot Productions logo used from 2001 through 2008.

Bad Robot was originally based at Touchstone Television, but was moved by Abrams to Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Television, after his contract with ABC expired in 2006. Bad Robot produced Lost in association with ABC Studios, formerly Touchstone Television. The two companies jointly produced Six Degrees and What About Brian.

Abrams is Chairman and Co-Chief executive officer of Bad Robot, and Katie McGrath serves as the Company's Co-Chief executive officer. In June 2017, Bad Robot announced that Brian Weinstein would become President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing daily operations and spearhead the company's growth strategy in its existing businesses, while developing new areas of expansion across the entire Bad Robot platform and pursuing alternative financing options.[1] In May 2015, Ben Stephenson left the BBC where he had been head of drama to helm Bad Robot Television. Lindsey Weber leads Bad Robot's feature film division.

The production logo has appeared since 2001, featuring a red rectangular headed robot running through a meadow silhouetted until it appears suddenly in front of the camera, followed by voices provided by two of Abrams's children, Henry and Gracie Abrams, saying "Bad robot!"[2] Although some fans believe that the name comes from a line in the animated film The Iron Giant, Abrams told Entertainment Weekly that it simply came to him during a writers' meeting.[2]

In February 2013, it was announced that Bad Robot would be partnering with the Valve Corporation to produce possibly a Half-Life or Portal film in the distant future.[3] In August 2015, Valve released a new beta game mode to Team Fortress 2, PASS Time, which Bad Robot worked on.[4] On July 7, 2016 the PASS Time game mode became official.[5] Bad Robot released a trailer entitled "Stranger" (otherwise known as S.), rumoured to be Abrams' next film or television project, perhaps even a Lost spin-off, but it was finally explained to be promoting S., Abrams and Doug Dorst's new novel, as a new trailer for S. was released.[citation needed] In February 2017, it was announced Julius Avery is attached to direct a Paramount coproduction, the World War II zombie film Overlord, from screenwriter Billy Ray.[6]

Bad Robot Productions is currently based in Santa Monica, California,[7] in a building which is incorrectly labeled on purpose as the home of the fictional "National Typewriter Company" because Abrams "likes typewriters — and misdirection."[8]

In June 2018, the company announced a spin-off venture formed with the Chinese video game publisher Tencent to launch Bad Robot Games for the development of video games on mobile, computer and consoles, with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment as a minority investor. Bad Robot Games will develop and publish titles related to Abrams' works and other Bad Robot Production contents, with Tencent holding the rights for distribution in China. The division will be helmed by Dave Baronoff, who has worked on the Cloverfield franchise and in developing Spyjinx as a joint project between Bad Robot Productions and Epic Games (also partially owned by Tencent), while Tim Keenan, who helped develop Duskers, will serve as the creative director.[9]

In 2006, Bad Robot teamed up with Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Television for a $60 million development deal [10] that lasted through 2018.[11]

In late 2018, it was announced that Bad Robot was leaving Paramount and seeking a new overall deal.[12] In January 2019, it was announced that Universal, Disney, and Warner Bros. were the top three studios battling it out for what could be a record breaking overall deal including theme parks, music labels, TV, merchandising, and streaming services as Bad Robot plans on ramping up production significantly in the coming years.[13] It was also announced that Bad Robot would be co-producing a remake of the British series The Wrong Mans for American network Showtime along with BBC Studios, but Showtime later cancelled the project.[14][15][16]

Bad Robot launched a subsidiary record label called Loud Robot in late 2018,[17] in partnership with Capitol Music Group.[18] Loud Robot is headed by co-general managers McKee Floyd and Nicky Berger along with Charles Scott, who currently heads Bad Robot's music division and has been the leading music supervisor for the company's films. Artists signed to the label include Cleveland-born rapper Nnena,[19] neo soul singer/songwriter UMI,[20] Nashville, Tennessee-based alternative rock artist Chaz Cardigan,[21] and London-based rhythm and blues artist DWY.[22]

On September 12, 2019, Bad Robot officially announced a new five-year overall deal with WarnerMedia. According to The Hollywood Reporter, WarnerMedia agreed to pay Bad Robot at least $250 million (plus various financial incentives) to produce feature films, television shows, video games, and digital content.[23]

Productions[]

Films[]

Year Title Director Co-production with Budget Gross
2001 Joy Ride John Dahl 20th Century Fox $23 million $36.6 million
2008 Cloverfield Matt Reeves Paramount Pictures $25 million $170.8 million
2009 Star Trek J. J. Abrams Paramount Pictures
Spyglass Entertainment 		$150 million $385.7 million
2010 Morning Glory Roger Michell Paramount Pictures $40 million $60 million
2011 Super 8 J. J. Abrams Paramount Pictures
Amblin Entertainment 		$50 million $260.1 million
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Brad Bird Paramount Pictures
TC Productions
Skydance Productions 		$145 million $694.7 million
2013 Star Trek Into Darkness J. J. Abrams Paramount Pictures
Skydance Productions
K/O Paper Products 		$190 million $467.4 million
2015 Infinitely Polar Bear Maya Forbes Sony Pictures Classics $6.7 million $2.1 million
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Christopher McQuarrie Paramount Pictures
Skydance Productions
China Movie Channel
Alibaba Pictures 		$150 million $682.7 million
Star Wars: The Force Awakens J. J. Abrams Lucasfilm Ltd. $245 million $2.068 billion
2016 10 Cloverfield Lane Dan Trachtenberg Paramount Pictures $15 million $110.2 million
Star Trek Beyond Justin Lin Paramount Pictures
Skydance Media
Alibaba Pictures
Huahua Media
Sneaky Shark Productions
Perfect Storm Entertainment 		$185 million $343.5 million
2018 The Cloverfield Paradox Julius Onah Paramount Pictures $45 million N/A
Mission: Impossible – Fallout Christopher McQuarrie Paramount Pictures
TC Productions
Skydance Media
Alibaba Pictures 		$178 million $791 million
Overlord Julius Avery Paramount Pictures $38 million $41.7 million
2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker J. J. Abrams Lucasfilm Ltd. $275 million $1.074 billion
2022 Mission Impossible 7 Christopher McQuarrie Paramount Pictures
TC Productions
Skydance Media 		N/A N/A
2023 Star Trek 4 Matt Shakman Paramount Pictures
Skydance Media 		N/A N/A
TBA Oh, the Places You'll Go![24] Aaron Stack Warner Animation Group
Dr. Seuss Enterprises 		N/A N/A
Your Name[25][26] TBA Paramount Pictures
Untitled Cloverfield film TBA
Untitled Superman film[27] Warner Bros. Pictures
DC Films
Zatanna[28]

Series[]

Year Title Creator(s) / Developer(s) Co-production with Notes Network
2001–06 Alias J. J. Abrams Touchstone Television ABC
2004–10 Lost Jeffrey Lieber
J. J. Abrams
Damon Lindelof
2006–07 What About Brian Dana Stevens Sachs/Judah Productions (season 1)
Touchstone Television
2006–07 Six Degrees Raven Metzner
Stuart Zicherman 		Nosebleed Productions
Touchstone Television
2008–13 Fringe J. J. Abrams
Alex Kurtzman
Roberto Orci 		Warner Bros. Television FOX
2009 Anatomy of Hope Pilot N/A
2010 Undercovers J. J. Abrams
Josh Reims 		Warner Bros. Television
Good Butter Productions 		NBC
2011–16 Person of Interest Jonathan Nolan Kilter Films
Warner Bros. Television 		CBS
2012 Alcatraz Elizabeth Sarnoff
Steven Lilien
Bryan Wynbrandt 		Warner Bros. Television FOX
Shelter Pilot[29] The CW
2012–14 Revolution Eric Kripke Kripke Enterprises
Warner Bros. Television 		NBC
2013–14 Almost Human J. H. Wyman Frequency Films
Warner Bros. Television 		FOX
2014 Believe Alfonso Cuarón
Mark Friedman 		Esperanto Filmoj
Warner Bros. Television 		NBC
2015 Dead People Pilot[30] The CW
2016 11.22.63 Bridget Carpenter Carpenter B.
Warner Bros. Television 		Hulu
Moon Shot Web series N/A
Roadies Cameron Crowe Vinyl Films
Warner Bros. Television
Showtime Networks 		Showtime
2016– Westworld Jonathan Nolan
Lisa Joy 		HBO Entertainment
Kilter Films
Jerry Weintraub Productions (season 1)
Warner Bros. Television 		HBO
2018–19 Castle Rock Sam Shaw Old Curiosity Shop
Darkbloom Productions
Warner Bros. Television 		Hulu
2020 Little Voice Jessie Nelson Dear Hope Productions
Warner Bros. Television Studios 		Apple TV+
Lovecraft Country Misha Green Afemme
Monkeypaw Productions
Warner Bros. Television Studios 		HBO
2021 Lisey's Story Pablo Larraín 40/60 Productions
Warner Bros. Television Studios 		Apple TV+
TBA My Glory Was I Had Such Friends Warner Bros. Television Studios
Demimonde J.J. Abrams HBO
Duster [31] HBO Max
Overlook
Justice League Dark Warner Bros. Television Studios
DC Entertainment
Constantine [32]
Untamed Warner Bros. Television Studios [33] TBA
Batman: Caped Crusader Bruce Timm 6th & Idaho
DC Entertainment
Warner Bros. Animation 		[34] Cartoon Network
HBO Max

Shorts[]

Year Title
2013 KRE-O Star Trek

Games[]

Year Title Platform
2011 Action Movie FX iOS
TBA Spyjinx

Awards and recognition[]

Nominations
Wins

References[]

  1. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 13, 2017). "Bad Robot Names Brian Weinstein President and COO". Variety. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Fonseca, Nicholas (December 7, 2001). "'Alias': The Story Behind J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  3. ^ Variety (February 12, 2013). "Star Trek's JJ Abrams and Valve's Gabe Newell - Full Keynote Speech - D.I.C.E. SUMMIT 2013".
  4. ^ "Team Fortress 2". www.teamfortress.com. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  5. ^ "Team Fortress 2 - Meet Your Match". teamfortress.com. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  6. ^ "Bad Robot's D-Day Movie 'Overlord' Finds Director (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  7. ^ Abramian, Alexandria (September 11, 2013). "Source: J. J. Abrams Building 'Star Wars' Post-production Facility in L.A. (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  8. ^ Bruni, Frank (May 26, 2011). "Filmmaker J. J. Abrams Is a Crowd Teaser". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  9. ^ Shanley, Patrick (June 7, 2018). "J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Launches Video Game Division". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  10. ^ "Bad Robot marches with Clark, Lingg". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  11. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 18, 2015). "J.J. Abrams And Bad Robot Re-Ups With Paramount Through July 2018". Deadline. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  12. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 14, 2018). "Seeking New Studio Home, Bad Robot Sets Six New Homegrown Film Projects". Deadline. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 16, 2019). "Bad Robot: Sizing Up the Field As Race To Land JJ Abrams' Business Enters Home Stretch". Deadline. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  14. ^ White, Peter (August 2, 2019). "'The Wrong Mans': Pilot Not Going Forward At Showtime". Deadline. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  15. ^ Carr, Flora (April 17, 2018). "BBC comedy The Wrong Mans with James Corden set for US remake". Radio Times. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  16. ^ Brown, Brigid. "Casting News: U.S. Version of James Corden's 'The Wrong Mans' is Switching Things Up". BBC America. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  17. ^ "Bad Robot Launches Indie Music Label Loud Robot (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "Bad Robot Partners With Capitol Music to Launch Indie Label Loud Robot". Billboard. August 21, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  19. ^ Betancourt, Bianca. "Meet Nnena, the Soulful Rapper Signed to J.J. Abrams Music Label". Teen Vogue. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  20. ^ "Sacks & Co. /// UMI". sacksco.com. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  21. ^ "Chaz Cardigan Signs to Capitol Records/Loud Robot". Music Connection Magazine. January 24, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  22. ^ Vigil, Dom. "DWY Releases New Single, "BMX"". Prelude Press. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  23. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (September 12, 2019). "J.J. Abrams Officially Closes Sizable WarnerMedia Film, TV Partnership". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  24. ^ "J.J. Abrams Will Produce Oh, the Places You'll Go! as Part of a Dr. Seuss Cinematic Universe". io9. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  25. ^ Borys Kit (September 27, 2017). "J.J. Abrams, Paramount Team Up for Sci-Fi Love Story 'Your Name'". Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  26. ^ Dave McNary (September 27, 2017). "J.J. Abrams Developing Remake of Japanese Hit 'Your Name' With Paramount". Variety. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 26, 2021). "'Superman' Reboot In The Works At Warner Bros With Ta-Nehisi Coates Writing, J.J. Abrams Producing". Deadline. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  28. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 22, 2021). "DC Films Taps 'Promising Young Woman' Director Emerald Fennell to Write Zatanna Superhero Movie (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 7, 2012). "NBC Pilots 2012 Analysis: Single-Camera Comedies and J. J. Abrams Among Early Orders". Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  30. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 25, 2015). "Andrew J. West to Play the Lead in CW Pilot Dead People from Bad Robot". Deadline. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  31. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 16, 2020). "J.J. Abrams Sets 3 HBO Max Shows: Justice League Dark, 'The Shining' Spinoff, 'Duster'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  32. ^ White, Peter (February 17, 2021). "'Constantine' Reboot In The Works At HBO Max From J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot With Guy Bolton Set As Writer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  33. ^ "Bad Robot Options Glennon Doyle Memoir 'Untamed' for Television". Variety. August 6, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  34. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 19, 2021). "'Batman: Caped Crusader' Swoops to HBO Max & Cartoon Network". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  35. ^ "54th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". -Emmys.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  36. ^ "57th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b "Winners & Nominees Best Television Series - Drama". goldenglobes.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  38. ^ "57th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  39. ^ "57th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.

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